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So what new music hit the stores this week? There are a few things worth checking out! The most notable would be the new album, Hot
Cakes from the Darkness! Speaking of The Darkness, the band will be taking over the @Rhapsody twitter handle today! If your have any burning questions for them, you will have the chance to interact with them live. More details below.

Rock outfit The Wedding have signed with Tooth & Nail Records and will release their label debut No Direction on September 25th.

The Wedding first formed in 2008 and despite a few lineup changes, quickly created a stir with their soaring rock anthems. The band finally hit its stride with the addition of front man Matt Shelton (formerly of Island Records’ Letter Kills.)

On the album’s title, Shelton explains, “No Direction” means cutting ties with the idea that you can prepare your life in such a way to keep you from danger. As C.S. Lewis said, it’s an illusion of safety. We are meant to live life unabashed and free, and this can only happen in the face of danger; which to most is the idea of not knowing where you are going. It is when we have No Direction at all and still we press on, trusting that the great unknown will be our rescue and not the demise we are so fearful of. We went into making this record with complete reckless abandon. We tried to write the record that we wanted and needed to hear.”

“We are stoked to join the family at Tooth & Nail. It’s exciting to get to make the records we want to make with so many good friends,” says Shelton.

Consisting of 12 tracks, No Direction was produced by Jasen Rauch (Breaking Benjamin) at Harker House Studios in Springfield, TN, and features guest vocals by Dan Marsala of The Story Of The Year on the track “The Lesser Worth.”

No Direction Track Listing:

1. No Direction

2. The End

3. The Lesser Worth (feat. guest vocals by Dan Marsala of The Story of The Year)

Washington, DC-based heavy metallers A SOUND OF THUNDER have begun work on their third full-length album entitled Time’s Arrow. The band has entered Assembly Line Studios with producer Kevin “131” Gutierrez (Shinedown, While Heaven Wept, Raven). With the same band line-up, producer and studio that created 2012’s acclaimed Out of the Darkness (Nightmare Records), Time’s Arrow features 11 new songs combining rousing and catchy traditional metal with crushing modern production. Time’s Arrow will release in early 2013.

The centerpiece of the album is the 9-minute sci-fi themed title track. Guitarist and composer Josh Schwartz describes the track as “a high octane headbanger with an unforgettable riff and an engaging story. Stylistically it’s Iron Maiden meets Rush with a bit of Meatloaf thrown in for bombast.” The tale begun in the lyrics is expanded in a short story by drummer Chris Haren, available in the limited box set edition of Time’s Arrow.

On August 20, 2012 A Sound of Thunder started a Kickstarter.com fundraiser campaign for the recording of Time’s Arrow. The campaign will run for 30 days and offers fans a chance to pre-order the album, have their name printed in the album booklet, reserve an ultra-limited box set edition of the album, and acquire unique and rare items from the band. Video at the band’s Kickstarter page contains the first clips from the new album. The Kickstarter campaign can be found here.

The band has also announced a second new release, the Queen of Hell EP, due out in November. Also recorded at Assembly Line Studios with producer Kevin “131” Gutierrez, the Queen of Hell EP contains four new tracks and is only available via the band’s Kickstarter campaign.

The cover art for Queen of Hell can be seen below. “We’ve always wanted to do an homage to classic swords & sorcery themed metal album covers,” says lead vocalist Nina Osegueda. “As you can see, we’ve gone horns up with the Queen of Hell art…I finally have the throne of skulls I’ve always wanted!” The cover art was provided by Serbian artist Dušan Marković.

“The Queen of Hell” track-listing:

01. The Queen of Hell (album version)

02. The Queen of Hell (Two Queens Mix)

03. Trashed (Black Sabbath cover)

04. Let’s Start a Fire

– Red vinyl

– Download card included

– 12″ full color sleeve

– 2 new paintings by Dusan Markovic

– Exclusive “Legion of Thunder – The Queen’s Guard” embroidered patch

– Limited to 250 copies worldwide

“The Queen of Hell” is available exclusively as a reward for donors to the band’s Kickstarter campaign.

Helsinki vampire rock outfit, The 69 Eyes, has released the second video trailer for the band’s upcoming album, X, which is set to be unleashed in North America on October 9, 2012 via Nuclear Blast. Check out the trailer on YouTube at: http://youtu.be/TEMvkQvfsWg.

01. Love Runs Away
02. Tonight
03. Black
04. If You Love Me The Morning After
05. Red
06. I Love The Darkness In You
07. Borderline
08. I’m Ready
09. I know What You Did Last Summer
10. When A Love Comes To An End

The 69 Eyes recently shot a music video for the album’s first single, “Red,” with renowned producer, Patric Ullaeus(Dimmu Borgir, Dream Evil, Keep Of Kalessin), which will premiere in the coming weeks.

With the new DANKO JONES album – Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue – set to be released in the United States on October 9th, the band has released the first single from the record, ‘Just A Beautiful Day’, as a free download today at www.rockandrollisblackandblue.com.

‘Just A Beautiful Day’ features a cloud-parting chorus and is sure to be an instant favorite among fans. A video for the song is set to be shot in New York in early September. Directing will be the Diamond Bros. who were responsible for all three music videos done for the previous album and who also were behind the band’s recently released DVD documentary, Bring On The Mountain.

Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue tracklisting:

1. Terrified

2. Get Up

3. Legs

4. Just A Beautiful Day

5. I Don’t Care

6. You Wear Me Down

7. Type Of Girl

8. Always Away

9. Conceited

10. Don’t Do This

11. The Masochist

12. I Believed In God

13. I Believed In God (Reprise)

Feel free to spread the download link in any way possible! Pre-order links for Rock And Roll Is Black And Blue can also be found on the same site.

DANKO JONES will embark on a European tour starting mid-October and expect to announce the first sold out shows this week. You will find the full list of dates here:

In this Moment is a band that I believe has potential to be a major force in the heavy metal world. The band has been on the cusp of being the next big metal band. The band has a very strong fan base, and I have always felt that they need one more successful album to push them up the METAL ladder. If their latest album Blood doesn’t get them there, it is going to take them a little bit closer.

Maria Brink is a super talented vocalist, and on Blood, her vocals takes the music of In this Moment to new heights. Blood is easily the band’s most creative output to date. The band is stretching its wings past its metalcore roots. I hear a lot of different musical elements and influences in the music, including Slipknot, Five Finger Death Punch, and maybe even a little bit of Nine Inch Nails. Many of the songs sound very mainstream radio ready, but this isn’t paint-by-numbers metal.

There are songs on Blood where Maria Brink’s voice seem to come from the depths of hell, and on others, she delights the auditory senses with her uncanny vocal ability. This is the first album without In the Moment founders Jeff Fabb and Blake Bunzel. I thought In This Moment’s sound might suffer from a shift in the lineup, but quite frankly the addition of Randy Weitzel, Travis Johnson, and Tom Hane have been an upgrade to In This Moment’s sound. Chris Howarth’s blazing guitars are still very present in Blood, but don’t expect a face melting solo in every song.

It took me a few spins to truly get into Blood, but I seem to like this album more with every listen. Some of the stand out tracks include “Adrenalize”, “You’re Gonna Listen”, the hit worthy “From the Ashes” and “The Blood Legion”. I am not a fan of the effects packed into the first single and title track “Blood”. I think this is a much better song live than the version that is on the album.

Overall, Blood is a very interesting and creative album from In This Moment. It isn’t a perfect album by any means, but it is entertaining, and that is why I listen to music.

Adler, the new band led by former Guns N Roses drummer Steven Adler has been added to the lineup for The Kiss Kruise. The second KISS Kruise is setting sail October 31 – November 4, 2012 from Miami, FL to Great Stirrup Cay, Bahamas onboard the Norwegian Pearl. No other Hallows’ Eve celebrations can compare!

The Kiss Kruise will mark the first ever live performance of Adler. “I’m really excited to debut my new band by playing with Kiss” states Steven Adler. “Kiss has always been one of my favorite bands and they are all great guys. The cruise is sure to be an amazing time!”

Adler is comprised of Steven Adler, frontman Jacob Bunton (Lynam, Mars Electric), guitarist Lonny Paul (Adler’s Appetite), and bassist Johnny Martin (Chelsea Smiles). “I’m really looking forward to playing live with this band” states Bunton. “We just finished an incredible record and are looking forward to taking it on the road”.

Adler just finished recording their debut record in Los Angeles with producer Jeff Pilson (Foreigner, Dokken). The album features guest appearances from Adler’s former Guns N Roses band mate Slash and Rob Zombie / ex-Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5. The album was mixed by Jay Ruston (Anthrax, Stone Sour). The first single “The One That You Hated” is out now on iTunes and the video can be viewed on Rolling Stone.com at this location http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/adler-the-one-that-you-hated-20120426. The album will be released later this year.

Eagle Records is delighted to announce the release of Re-Machined – A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Headalbum on September 25 [MSRP $13.99 for CD, digital TBA].

This year marks the 40th anniversary of the release of this landmark album and in recognition of the influence of the band, and of Machine Head in particular. Some of rock music’s biggest names have each contributed a version of their favorite track on the album to create Re-Machined – A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head.

There are two wildly differing versions of the album’s most famous track “Smoke On The Water”, one from guitar hero Carlos Santana with vocals by Jacoby Shaddix and one from alternative rockers Flaming Lips, and Metallica have contributed their own special take on “When A Blind Man Cries”, a track recorded at the “Machine Head” sessions but originally released as the B-side to “Never Before”.

Iron Maiden’s “Space Truckin’” cover was actually recorded back in 2006. Lead singer Bruce Dickinson explains, “Initially we didn’t think we’d be able to contribute anything due to our touring commitments. Then we remembered ‘Space Truckin’ which we’d recorded as a single B-side during our A Matter Of Life And Death album session, but never used. However now, thanks to Kevin Shirley’s remixing skills, we’re able to include it on Re-Machined”

Initially released as a limited edition Classic Rock “fanpack” on September 3, this is a truly unique release that will appeal to rock fans everywhere.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-Ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

The American symphonic metal band KAMELOT will be releasing their new album Silverthorn October 30th in North America, October 26th in Germany and October 29th in the rest of Europe via Steamhammer/SPV. It will receive its Japanese release October 24th via King Records.

Today KAMELOT has unveiled the breathtaking album artwork for Silverthorn. The LP and limited edition will have one version of the art, while the standard version of Silverthorn will have a different but equally exquisite version of the artwork. The standard version is presented as an Ecolbook. The limited edition contains the Ecolbook, a bonus CD with nearly 60 minutes of music, a 44 page book and an exclusive poster. The double LP version is a gatefold on colored vinyl and includes the CD.

Guitarist Thomas Youngblood says of the artwork:

“Artist Stefan Heilemann captured the true essence of the story and the main character. The booklet and 44 page book is packed with amazing images!”

It was recently announced that Swede Tommy Karevik has been selected as the new singer for KAMELOT.

In conjunction with the album’s release, KAMELOT will be embarking on a massive World Tour that will bring the band to nearly every continent on the planet.

Oakland-based Electric Sister was tapped to perform at the August 16 Bone Bash XIII with Motley Crue and KISS.

Sponsored by 107.7 KSAN (The Bone) in San Francisco, the first part of the Bone Bash contest was fan-based voting, which propelled the band into the Top 5, from which Motley Crue and KISS personally picked the winner.

In addition to several shows on the Sunset Strip (House of Blues, The Whisky) in Los Angeles, Electric Sister has supported Steel Panther, Black Label Society, Danko Jones, Zeke, has played Sylvia Massy’s 4 & 20 Blackbird Festival, and contributed to fundraising shows. The next Electric Sister date is at the West Hollywood House of Blues on Saturday, August 18.

“I Want It All” was released earlier this year as the second single from the critically-acclaimed THE LOST ART OF ROCK & ROLL. The band is also to be featured on all-start tributes to Van Halen and Iron Maiden, and is working on new material.

At this year’s Wacken Open Air festival, German metal force U.D.O. was celebrating its 25th anniversary with an extensive live show. In addition vocalist Udo Dirkschneider (who became 60 years young this April) was honored with a “lifetime achievement award” by his label AFM Records, paying tribute to the man’s outstanding career, which, we all know, started with Dirkschneider founding and fronting Accept, the band he led to international stardom. Dirkschneider became one of the most popular and respected voices in metal ever, having a massive effect on following generations of musicians.

But the journey of the Solingen-born man and his band has not come to an end yet – his mission not accomplished at all! Quite the contrary: U.D.O.’s latest studio album “Rev-Raptor” (2011) and the tour played in support of this release, became the most successful ones in their history.

So U.D.O. and AFM Records extended their long-term deal and look forward to continue on the path of recent years’ success.

On September 28th already the new DVD “Live In Sofia” will be released, which was filmed on the “Rev-Raptor” tour. This concert film will also be available in BluRay format. Both the DVD & BluRay will be accompanied by 2 CDs that includes the full concert as well.

Candlelight Red have now released their new EP through Imagen Records, titled, Demons, available on iTunes. The EP, which was produced by Sevendust drummer, Morgan Rose, features 4 hard-hitting tracks including single and title track “Demons,” as well as “Cutter.” Morgan commented on the EP stating that it “came out unreal.” Fans can listen to the EP in it’s entirety now by visiting Revolvermag.com.

Candlelight Red will be hitting the road on the Rockstar Energy Drink Uproar Festival, which kicks off August 17th in Bonner Springs, KS and will be featuring Shinedown, Godsmack, Staind, Papa Roach, and more. For a complete list of dates and ticket information, head to the Fest’s official site at www.rockstaruproar.com.

For more information on the Candlelight Red as well as their EP, make sure to check out their official site as well as their Facebook and Twitter pages. Pick up a copy of Demons available now!

Before embarking on the first leg of their “The Burden Of God” World Tour starting next Tuesday in Zottegem (Belgium), French heavy metal pioneers NIGHTMARE have unleashed to the world their new video clip “Sunrise In Hell”! The full length movie-clip, Gateways To The Void / Sunrise In Hell will be released later this year through AFM Records… Stay Tuned… The “Sunrise In Hell” video clip has been conducted by talented French producer Stéphane Gilbart (Nightframe Media Visions) and produced and edited by Richard Conord (richardconordfilms.com).

The main character / actor on the video is no less than the band’s new guitar player, Matt Asselberghs. This clip features also appearances of French models Sonia Zina and Lady Akasha as special guests.

Legendary rockers KING’S X will return to the North American tour circuit this fall as direct support to KANSAS. These dates will mark the band’s first tour since drummer Jerry Gaskill’s remarkable recovery from a major heart attack earlier this year. “Not too long ago I was thinking I might not ever get back on a stage, now I’m ready and with the ok from all my doctors,” says Gaskill. “What better way to get back than to tour with the legendary KANSAS. Let’s rock…”

KING’S X will be touring in support of Live Love In London, the live CD/DVD follow-up to their latest studio release, XV. Live Love In London is the most expansive KING’S X live offering to date, a career-encompassing package featuring “It’s Love,” “Over My Head,” “Black Flag,” “Lost In Germany” and more. Recorded live January 22, 2009 at the Electric Ballroom, the 3-disc CD/DVD package (also available as a 2-CD set) showcases the amazing live performances that KING’S X has been delivering to fans around the world for the past 25 years. To order your copy of Live Love In London, click here.

All upcoming tour dates for KANSAS with KING’S X as direct support are below.

HOT CAKES was produced by the band’s JUSTIN and DAN HAWKINS with long-time collaborator Nick Brine and mixed by Bob Ezrin. The resulting 11-song cycle delivers the epicrock anthems and infectious pop choruses the multi-platinum band has become renowned for worldwide (see full tracklisting below).

THE DARKNESS—JUSTIN HAWKINS (vocals/guitars), DAN HAWKINS (guitars/backing vocals), FRANKIE POULLAIN (bass) and ED GRAHAM (drums)–kick off a world tour with Lady Gaga today, August 14 in Bulgaria. In October, the group will return to the U.S. for two special shows: Sunday, October 21 in New York City at Terminal 5 and Wednesday, October 24 in Los Angeles at Club Nokia. See all confirmed dates so far below, and tickets are available now at: www.theactualdarkness.com.

The full track listing for HOT CAKES is as follows:

1. Every Inch Of You2. Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us3. With A Woman4. Keep Me Hangin’ On5. Livin’ Each Day Blind6. Everybody Have A Good Time7. She Just A Girl Eddie8. Forbidden Love9. Concrete10. Street Spirit11. Love is Not The Answer

It is another massive release day, and plenty of cool hard rock and metal picks to chose from. Brand new releases from In This Moment, Fozzy, and Loudness will make our shopping list, and there are many more that are too cool to miss. Check below for the full list!

THE BIGGEST ROCK BAND IN THE WORLD, RELEASES THE LARGEST ROCK BOOK EVER TO BE PUBLISHED: KISS MONSTER BOOKIconic Rock Band Launches a Larger-Than-Life Journey Through 40-Years of KISS, with Limited-Edition Book Of Rare Photography on August 21 at Viper Room; Unseen Photographs, The Real Story, Exclusive Material

The biggest rock band in the world, KISS, is launching the largest rock book ever to be published, KISS MONSTER BOOK, standing 3 feet high by 2.5 feet wide and 2 inches thick, with a special appearance at the Viper Room on Tuesday, August 21 from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m.

The KISS MONSTER BOOK offers a larger-than-life journey through 40-years of KISS with an intimate collection of 127 photographs by world-renowned rock photographers, including rare and never-before-seen images sourced from the band’s own archives. The massive book is a collector’s goldmine, with just 1,000 copies available and individually signed, dated and numbered by the four members of the current line-up. Printed in high-definition links by one of the world’s finest limited-edition and large format printers, each copy has been hand stitched-and-bound in Italy, by the same binder used by The Vatican.

Eleven different covers with matching signature pages have been produced, and anyone buying the book can choose their cover when they place their order. The pictures inside include unseen gems, old 35mm slides, famous moments and brand new pictures that bring the band right up-to-date. Coupled with the sheer size and quality of the images, this book is a photographic monument that chronicles the cultural phenomenon known as KISS. It’s an up-close-and-personal view of the most globally-recognized band in rock history, bringing the epic KISS experience alive.

Paul Stanley comments:“This book is way beyond my expectations. The photos are incredible at this size. It’s not a coffee table book, it’s a coffee table!”KISS has worked closely with the publishers, carefully choosing the best and rarest images to illustrate every decade of their glorious history. The photos selected for the KISS MONSTER BOOK capture the absolute essence of being in-and-around a KISS concert, with incredible work by some of the greatest rock photographers of all time, including Richard Aaron, Fin Costello, Bob Gruen, Ross Halfin, Tom Hill, Steve Jennings, Andrew Kent, Barry Levine, Eric McKenna, Evan Mover, Michael Putland, Denis O’Regan, Chip Rock, Al Soluri, Mark Sullivan, Mark Weiss and Neil Zlozower. The result is an explosion of giant photographs showing KISS alive, with a stunning recreation of the KISS live experience that leaves you with the smell of pyrotechnics in your nostrils, the sound of the music in your ears, and a sense of danger in your belly. Many of the close-up photographs are literally the closest any fan could ever get to their rock heroes without an All-Access pass. The KISS MONSTER BOOK is the ultimate rock book experience.

KISS is massively influential on a global platform. The band is widely acclaimed for their elaborate live performances, which includes face paint, flamboyant stage outfits, fire-breathing, blood-spitting, smoking guitars and pyrotechnics. Formed in NY in the early 1970’s, KISS has broken box office records set by The Beatles and Elvis and is America’s #1 Gold Record Award-winning group of all-time (RIAA certified). The band’s KISSOLOGY Volume I, Volume II and Volume III have sold an amazing 20 times platinum in just North America alone. The band has sold more than 40 million albums U.S.; 20 million RIAA certified, and worldwide sales exceeding 100 million. KISS is currently on tour.

I have been a fan of Irish rockers Million Dollar Reload since I first heard their debut album, Anthems for a Degeneration four long years ago! Their debut album was killer, and their latest effort, A Sinner’s Saint is no sophomore slump by any means.

I have described Million Dollar Reload in the past as a cross between Buckcherry and AC/DC, and their sound is still very much the same, and I couldn’t be happier. Phil Conalane is a tremendous vocalist, and it is his vocals that really make Million Dollar Reload’s music a step above so many other bands in this vein.

The opening cuts “Fight The System” and “Bullets in the Sky” deliver that one, two punch that will make you listen to the rest ofA Sinner’s Saint to see what other gems the band has in store for you. The album has plenty of more cool cuts that you will definitely want to check out.

The song “Broken” is a slower tune that ought to be a massive hit for the band. “I Am The Rapture”, “Smoke ‘N Mirrors” and “Headrush” are also amongst my favorites. There really isn’t a bad song in the bunch. All of the songs on “A Sinner’s Saint” would sound great in a live setting. I am hopeful that “A Sinner’s Saint” will bring Million Dollar Reload back to the U.S. to tour. Until then, I will be cranking up this CD, and you should be too!

If you like straight forward classic rock, you are going to love A Sinner’s Saint. Check it out!

You can purchase A Sinner’s Saint from Amazon.com. I highly recommend it!

Today is the one year anniversary of the death of former Warrant front man Jani Lane. It is mind boggling to me that it has already been a year since we lost Jani. Like many of you, I was fan of Jani, and all of the music he created. He was a great song writer, and his contributions to hard rock are greatly missed.

The clips below are just a few of my favorite songs that Jani performed and/or had written. Rest In Peace Jani!

For any fan of U2, the new double-disc live album U22, from the record-breaking U2 360° tour, is something really special. This exclusive U2 Fan Club release features 22 live tracks that were voted on by fans, all recorded during the two year, 110 show tour. What’s really unusual with this release is that the tracks selected are not just the classic U2 hits you might expect but fan favorites like ‘Bad’, ‘Ultra Violet’, ‘Moment of Surrender’ and ‘Zooropa.’

Another innovation with the release of U22 is the beautiful packaging. The 2-disc set comes in an LP-sized book of breathtaking photos from the tour, which as you probably know featured a unique looking ‘Claw’ stage set-up for 360° viewing. The book also comes with liner notes talking through the tracks written by bassist, Adam Clayton.

An exclusive limited-edition release for U2.com subscribers and with a track list chosen by the fans,U22 really captures the sense of community within the U2 Fan Club. A subscription will also get you access to 11 downloads from the 22 tracks on the discs, and a 12th bonus download ‘Unknown Caller – as well as a range of other special online content and benefits.

Fans interested in learning more about taking out a subscription and getting a copy of this awesome package can head to U2.com.

“Raise Your Fist In The Air,” the new video from The Queen of Metal, DORO PESCH, premiered last week in front of 75,000 metalheads at the Wacken Open Air festival in Germany, and is now available for viewing below.

The song comes off DORO’s EP of the same name, which is now available digitally oniTunes.

Most fans know that New York is DORO’s second home. However, the “Raise Your Fist In The Air” video wasn’t filmed in flashy Times Square; it was shot in The Bronx. “For Manhattan,” DORO explains, “we would have needed permissions to film for each and every street corner — in the Bronx, nobody cares.”

While police didn’t care, the video shoot didn’t go unobserved.

“We purposely trudged around the most rundown quarters in our video truck,” DORO elaborates. “The gangs that hung around there were watching every step of ours suspiciously. We felt anything but safe. I explained to the guys who we were and that ‘Raise Your Fist’ can be considered quite a critical song that names and shames the constantly growing injustice in the world.”

When DORO offered gang members and homeless individuals the opportunity to appear in the video, the tense atmosphere was quickly infused with sheer enthusiasm.

“That was the best thing we could have done,” DORO reports happily. “The video came out absolutely great… and the parts with the people from the Bronx are the ones I like most.”Raise Your Fist In The Air EP Track Listing:

The Last Good Year release new single as August U.S. “The Steady Road Tour”prepares to kick off

Following the July 31 release of their newest single “Steady Road,” Indianapolis-based rock band The Last Good Year will kick
off their latest U.S. run “The Steady Road Tour”August 8 in Louisville, KY. “Steady Road” is available for download now through
TheLastGoodYear.com, iTunes, Google, Spotify, CD Baby and more.

“I have to say that the first time I heard these guy’s I was blown away. Huge fan of their style and song writing, not to mention their chops.
Singer’s got some pipes as well, which in my book is always a plus. Great band and great group of guys” said Kevin Martin, lead singer of Candlebox and The Gracious Few.

Bringing together lead singer and guitarist Joe Doyel, guitarist Joshua Bucy, drummer Daryn Rayl and bass player Steven Byroad, the band recently
played the Super Bowl Village during Super Bowl XLVI in February. In March, “Steady Road”was featured on ESPN¹s coverage of NCAA baseball and softball.

“Their songs are well written, and the band rocks live,” says Rick DeJesus of Adelitas Way. “These guys are up and coming, for sure.”

Throughout the month of August, The Last Good Year will play in cities across the country including Nashville, Atlanta, New York City, Brooklyn,
Philadelphia, Minneapolis, Cleveland and St. Louis, among others. They are currently working on a new record with Travis Wyrick (P.O.D., 10 Years) in Knoxville, Tenn.

DOWNSPIRIT, the heavy rock band formed by ex-SYMPHORCE/ex-FREEDOM CALL guitarist Cedric “Cede” Dupont will be releasing their new album Bulletproof? in North America on August 14th. The album is available for pre-order on AMAZON.

The band based in Stuttgart, Germany blends old blues roots with a modern, down tuned guitar-feel, their songs are a mixture of typical bluesy 80’s hard rock and a contemporary metal sound, which also includes some Rock/Pop influences here and there.

Bulletproof? is not just an album with excellent song and musicianship, it is a sound experience that catches the attention of its listeners from the first note to the last beat! The melancholic feeling of blues combined with the power of heavy metal riffs and strong melodies coupled with a band of well known and talented musicians come together to deliver quality sounding music with power and passion: This is DOWNSPIRIT.

Today DOWNSPIRIT has debuted another track from Bulletproof? entitled “The Wish”. Listen to the exclusive premiere courtesy of Noisecreep HERE.

Check out DOWNSPIRIT‘s cover of the the Roxette hit “The Look” HERE courtesy of Bravewords.

The Calling will be released on October 19 in Europe and October 23 in North America

Taking a detour from his main job as lead guitarist for Journey, the multi-talented Neal Schon has put the finishing touches on his latest solo album, The Calling, which will be released by Frontiers Records on October 19th in Europe and October 23rd in North America. Produced by, and featuring, Schon on all guitars and bass, The Calling reunites Schon with former Journey bandmate, Steve Smith, who lends his virtuoso drum talents to all 12 tracks on the new album.

Schon set up shop at Berkeley’s famed Fantasy Studios during a break from Journey’s busy touring schedule, and recorded the album, completely from scratch, in just four days. After overdubbing multiple guitar and bass parts, Schon recruited two keyboard masters to flesh out the music Igor Len, an accomplished classical, jazz and film composer who had previously collaborated with Schon, is featured on acoustic piano throughout The Calling album.

GRAMMY Award-winning special guest Jan Hammer (Jeff Beck, Mahavishnu Orchestra, Miami Vice soundtrack) recorded Moog synthesizer solos on two tracks – Fifty Six and Tumbleweeds. Recently, Schon teamed up with Dan Barnett (Journey: Live In Manila) to produce the video for the first single and title track from The Calling .

While celebrating the release of The Calling, Schon will be back on the road with JOURNEY as the band’s 2012 tour kicked off July 21 in Southern California and is scheduled to run through December, with most dates featuring special guests Pat Benatar featuring Neil Giraldo and Loverboy. Check www.journeymusic.com for updated tour details.

The debut full-length from Augsburg, Germany’s sleaze rockers HOLLYWOOD BURNOUTS, Excess All Areas, is out now in North America via Rock Road Records and Soulfood Distribution. To help promote its release, Canadian rock/metal portal Puregrainaudio has posted an exclusive feature with the band as well as hosted stream of the Excess All Areas in its entirety RIGHT HERE.

In other news, HOLLYWOOD BURNOUTS recently underwent a lineup revamping, as half of the band were replaced. The band has released the following statement regarding the new members and more: “As you might have heard during the last few days, Hollywood Burnouts had to replace their bass player and drummer due to personal reasons. Both of them wanted to focus on their private lives and weren´t able to spend the amount of time, a band like Hollywood Burnouts requires, anymore! However, Chrizzy and Mike did not even think about quitting the band – so there have been a few auditions during the last few weeks. Well… here they are again! We are proud to announce the new lineup: Chrizzy (rhythm/lead guitars, vocals), Toby (drums, vocals), Chris (bass, vocals), Mike (vocals, lead/rhythm guitars).”

The new HOLLYWOOD BURNOUTS lineup will play their first official show on August 16th in Cologne, Germany supporting Ted Poley (Danger Danger). Following that, the band will enter the studio on August 27th to record their sophomore album. Stay tuned for further updates.

Boasting melodies and choruses inspired by the massively popular glam and hard rock heroes of the ’80s and early ’90s, with straightforward riffs and influences rooted in blues and classic heavy metal channeling through their infectious tunes, HOLLYWOOD BURNOUTS released a successful demo in 2009, followed by a self-titled EP in 2010 since their 2008 formation. The band have attracted a massive fanbase throughout Germany and well beyond at this point, having performed on national and international shows supporting Cinderella, Bonfire, Hardcore Superstar, Crashdiet, Dokken and many others.